Working in children’s ministry in a small church, it can be easy to feel dwarfed by the possibilities of larger churches. Seeing other churches with indoor playgrounds and fully produced kids worship services, an army of volunteers, classrooms for each grade level, and home-grown curriculum, it can be hard to not compare your ministry and begrudge what feels like limitations.
The good news? While these churches may have something special, small church ministry has its own unique strength—the power of proximity.
Proximity in small church ministry gives you the chance to know and care for the children you are serving.
What Is Proximity in a Small Church Ministry?
Proximity in ministry is nearness. It means you are in the presence of the people you are ministering to and doing life with. While proximity is possible in a church of any size, it is one of the benefits of small church ministry. Having a smaller number of children to keep up with means that you are constantly in their presence, and therefore able to provide a different type of care, community, and discipleship.
The Early Church and Proximity
I’ve been reading through Acts in my personal Bible study, and I started reflecting on how the early church did proximity. Acts 2:44-47 CSB says this:
“Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as any had need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.”
The apostles built the early church on proximity. The believers were together constantly, doing almost everything together. They gathered to worship. They ate meals together. If anyone was in need, they took care of them. Later on, in Acts 6, we see the apostles appoint deacons to minister to the people directly, because they have grown too large in number for that same level of proximity. Hallelujah!
We should always celebrate more people coming to the Lord. Small church ministry gets to capture that beauty of the early church, before the growth and appointment of the deacons, where discipleship, care, and community can all be experienced in one.
Great Care Found in Small Church Ministry
When I first started teaching in children’s ministry at a small church, I usually had somewhere between 3 and 7 kids on Sundays and Wednesdays. Sometimes those tiny groups meant that I had to do a lot of curriculum adjustment.
Break into small groups? We’re already there. Super-simple craft that would be perfect for a class for 20? My 3 artsy kiddos aren’t buying into that. Play a game that requires teams? Forget about it.
But something special happened in those small groups. I got to really get to know and care about those kids. I knew their birthdays and their favorite colors and who was still learning how to read. Because of my proximity, I had the opportunity to develop deep care and affection for them.
Proximity in small church ministry gives you the chance to know and care for the children you are serving.
Authentic Community
Authentic community blossoms out of the proximity of the small church. You probably see the children in your ministry pretty often outside of “ministry time” too. You might see them because you’re in a small group (life group, community group, etc.) with their parents. And You might catch them before or after worship service to ask how their last soccer game went or joke with them about the funny story they told you last week.
Kids know that you see and care about them, because you know and ask about their lives.
Community grown out of proximity isn’t just between you and the children either. Deep affection and connectedness grow between small groups of children that spend lots of time together.
I’ve watched as preschool children grow into being the “big kids” and begin to play with and dote on the new preschoolers, just like older children had done with them. The children in your ministry are playing together while their parents do Bible study, having sleepovers, and attending birthday parties and baseball games together.
You know them and you are blessed with the chance to discipleship them directly and intentionally.
Strong Discipleship
Out of that great care and authentic community comes strong discipleship. Children know they can trust you in the little things, and as God works on their hearts, they start to trust you in the bigger things. They ask questions about whether their church attendance makes them Christians, who is Jesus anyways, and what’s up with that baptism thing. They have learned through your care and presence that they can come to you with the ponderings of their hearts.
In addition to what the children learn through proximity, you have had the opportunity to know their hearts. You notice when something has shifted in them, whether that is the Lord stirring them to faith or the brokenness of the world is troubling them.
You know them and you are blessed with the chance to disciple them directly and intentionally.
Rethinking “Small”
Like I said earlier, it is easy to think about what we don’t have in small church ministry, but rather than getting hung up on those things, let’s celebrate the gift of proximity that God has given us. This small church strength creates the close relationships that lead to great care, authentic community, and strong discipleship.
Be encouraged as you continue to walk in the purpose God as placed before you: your love, care, and ministry matter, whether you’re serving 2 children or 2,000 children. Praise God that His great work can be done in places (and hearts) both big and small!
66 Short Bible Verses Perfect for Kids to Memorize
66 Short Bible Verses Perfect for Kids to Memorize
66 Short Bible Verses Perfect for Kids to Memorize
Looking for curriculum for you small church? Check out this guide from Wonder Ink!
